for motiues consider the diâ—ference betwixt these conditions and estates of men excellently resembled in those two types those two Countries so contrary AEgypt and Canaan Read it set out to thee Deut. 11. 10.11 12. 2. Consider the disposition of every creature No man will refuse to flit from a dwelling in which he sees and findes many discommodities to a place wher he shall enjoy an happy estate and liue in health and plentie If thou desirest to know the meanes it is by receiving the word grafted with meekenesse Iam. 1.21 Now this meeknesse is that Christian vertue which proceeding from humilitie and being opposite to frowardnesse and stubbornnesse of heart bends and bowes our soules in all gentlenesse to the yoake of Christ as acknowledging him the just Commaunder our selues his subjects and servants Proposition 2. The second proposition in this verse drawne from the properties is Hee that delights and meditates in the word of God day night is like to a tree that bringeth forth fruit in season whose leafe shall never fade In which are two especiall things making up and accomplishing the happinesse of the faithfull soule which seekes the Lord in his word 1. The effects and fruits following this planting and watering 2. The perseverance or continuance in this estate The effects are two 1. in this life the fruit of grace 2. in the other the fruitioÌ„ of glory For I take it as certaine that the Spirit here intendeth both as well because glory is the especiall part of our blessednesse here described as also because this bringing forth fruit in season will rather agree to that perfect fruit which we receiue in glory then the other No sooner is the tree transplanted but fruit instantly followes but the perfection and full ripenesse of it is not here gathered but hereafter in heaven Some here resemble faith to the leafe but that being the speciall fruit of grace cannot fitly be thus compared The purpose of the Spirit without all question by the never-fading leafe is to expresse the ever-flourishing estate and life of the godly It is not therefore necessary to descend to any particular and in this similitude to liken any one thing in the faithfull to this leafe but sufficient that as the tree whose leafe is ever green continually flourisheth and even in the midst of winter liues and prospers so the godly in the most troublesome stormes of all tryall and tentation shall pâ—rsevere in this spirituall life and even then shall sucke that heavenly sap from Christ and openly flourish in an holy profession Now I see not any difficultie in these words but onely it may seeme doubtfull in what sense these fâ—uits of grace and glory are said to bee produced in season For that of glory the season is only knowne to God who hath put the times and seasons in his owne power and brings forth this fruit in some sooner in some later as seemes best to his owne wisedome onely this may bee observed that as the Palmâ— ripens his fruit not suddainely but is three yeeres longer then any tree concocting and mellowing it before it come to full maturitie so it pleaseth the Lord not instantly to ripen this fruit of his Spirit and perfect us in compleat holinesse but often by a slow progresse and no hasty growth brings us to that supreame happines and full perfection For that other fruit namely of grace ordinarily it is interpreted as opposed too those to hasty fruits which suddainely ripening and before due time are of no use but sowre and unsauorie of which we use to say in the proverbe soone ripe soone rotten Leaving to every one his owne sense so farre as it is not repugnaâ—t to the rule of faith I doe not willingly consent to this interpretation First because I cannot easily beleeue that any spirituall fruit can either spring grow or ripen too soone and am perswaded that it is the proverbe of Satan hatched in hell A young Saint an old Divell Secondly because even that caâ—kasse of faith which is in hypocrites who are the stony ground is but a blade no fruit a blade without a roote as is evident in the parable I would rather â—nderstand it as thus intended As there are many fruits of the Spirit so are they not all producâ—d at one time some presently shew themselues but other some spring not till a long time after onely the seed and roote of them is in the heart but the fruit appeares not and yet in due time the fruit shall follow The sense then is this He that delights and meditates in the word shall not onely fructisie in grace and attaine in good time every good gift of the Spirit but shall certainly in Gods season grow to a further degree of ripenesse and at length to a full maturitie and glorious holinesse and this fruitfull and glorioâ—s estate shall not decay the fruit of grace shall not utterly perish but shall surely end in endlesse and perfect glory See for proofe Ierem. 17. 8. Thus when the word is rightly heard fruit followes Luke 8. 15. no lesse fruit springs from this seede then life yea everlasting life Iohn 4. 24. The grounds or reasons may be 1. The grace of God in electing you haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained that you should bring forth fruit and your fruit shall remaine 2. The blessed Spirit working in it Gal. 5.22 3. The nature of the word which God hath made to be as seed now every seed hath a vertue and force to produce the like 4. The materiall and maine cause is the roote that beareth us even Christ Rom. 11. 18. see Iohn 15.4.5 Looke then as the tree such is the branch thus the Lord Iesus being full of grace which was delt unto him not by measure Iohn 3. 34. distributes to every one which is grafted into him that measure which is requisite for that part which he holds in his body Iohn 1. 16. Ephe. 4. 16. And seeing himselfe being risen from the dead dieth no more Rom. 6. 9. he giues this never-fading life to those who are his members Iohn 6. 37. 56. 57. 58. Learne then here for instruction that it is altogether impossible that soule should be barren in spirituall fruit which delights and meditates in the word of God Now as in earthly so in these heavenly fruits there are many kindes and every kind diversified into other The chiefe of the spirituall are godlinesse righteousnes and sobrieâ—ie In godlinesse sundry and divers particulars some which we receiue and returne not some which we both receiue and returne Of the first sort the chiefe is peace a fruit wonderfully pleasant I haue read of some fruits which haue so affected the tast that the whole body hath instantly felt a sudden alteration and even shook and shuddered with the delight it received Sure I am no fruit in earthly Paradise could compare with this peace Oh when an
me I will bring in life to thy soule Heare and thou shalt liue I will bring in all blessings blessed are they that heare mee but if thou sinnest against mee thou hatest thine owne soule and all that forsake mee loue death Let us seat our soules by these waters of life bee not foolish consider that the wisedome of God calleth thee as fast to this dutie as thine owne flesh from it shew now thy selfe to be a Christian in following Christ and his advice Search the Scriptures in them you thinke you haue eternall life if thou deniest not all the world and thine owne selfe to follow Christ thou art none of his If thou art therefore the servant of God as his servants cleaue to his word Psal. 119. 31. choose it as thine inheritance Psal. 119. 111. Remember for motiues to provoke thee to this duty 1. The practise of all wise men who if they may choose their dwelling will looke first to health and with it if it may bee profit and pleasure This affords thee all and hence is it that never any forsooke it who were once throughly seated by it 2. The infinite commodities which wee shall reape from thence and many inconveniences following upon the rejecting of it before mentioned And remember how steadie a comfort it will bee to thy soule as at all times so especially in the evill day when thou canst say with that holy Patient I haue not departed from the commandement of his lips haue esteemed the words of his mouth more then my appointed food And as the Prophet Remember and visite mee for thy words were found by mee and I did eate them and thy word was to mee the joy and rejoycing of my heart Proposition 3. 3. The Prophet affirmes that an ungodly man is not like a tree fruitfull in her season and ever flourishing The words haue beene sufficiently opened before we must remember that by fruit here is not onely meant the increase of grace in this life but of glory also in the life to come And indeed even these of grace differ from those of glory rather in measure then in kind the first being yet in growth and unâ—ipe the other perfect and mature surely the highest pitch of mans happinesse even in glory consists in his perfect conformity to the image of God by seeing him as he is some other complements are added but this is the substance and this estate of grace is but a contiâ—uall reforming and transforming more and more to this image by beholding him in that mirrour of his word So the seâ—se is The Prophet affirmes that the ungodly man never attaines either any true saving grace of Gods sanctifying Spirit in this life or that perfection of glory in the life to come but whatsoever hee seeâ—es to haue falls and perishes The proofe is here sufficiently cleered and may bee further confirmed concerning grace thus in duties to God they haue no feare of God but are full of Atheisme and contempt of God for righteousnesse see Psal. 10. 7. 8. 9. for glorie see Psal. 9. 17. how farre from flourishing and continuing in it read Psal. 37. 35. 36. Grounds are here as before partly that knowledge which he had gotten in the Sanctuarie partly loue desiring to turne men from death and destruction to life and salvation the first gaue him power to discerne the second will to speake this truth 1. It is altogether impossible that ungodly or wicked persons such as follow evill counsels stand in the way of sinners sit with scorners neglect the word and meditation in it should be â—ruitfull in grace those saving and sanctifying gifts of Gods Spirit This truth as it is evidently affirmed by the Prophet so hath it a cloud of witnesses to ratifie and confirme it Let favour bee shewed to the wicked he will not learne righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse hee will deale unjustly and will not behold the majestie of the Lord. Can the AEthyopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may you also doe good which are accustomed to evill They are dead in sinnes cannot perceiue cannot repent cannot beleeue Therefore the Lord compares them to such grounds as either betray resist or choake the seed Reasons further to assure this point are many and evident For 1. These graces doe not nâ—y cannot spring from nature but are planted by Gods Spirit and called his fruits Gal. 5. 22. Now not the Spirit of God but the Spirit of rebellion worketh in the disobedient that Prince of the ayre Ephe. 2. 2. And certainely as the sower first with the plough cuts up the weedes by the roote before he casteth in any good seed into the land so this great Husband man mortifies in us these earthly members before he creates the new man he therefore that continues still in his wickednesse cannot haue this fruit of the Spirit Secondly True saving grace as it is planted so is it nourished by the word of God It is a right hearing of the word and receiving it with obedience which makes us fruitfull Colos. 1. 5. 6. Faith comes by hearing The word sanctifies Ioh. 17. 17. and indeed is the very seed of those fruits Luke 8. 11. Now then as since the curse which the Lord layed on the earth we find by experience that our grounds without tillage and seed bring forth no other fruit but weedes and nettles briars thornes and thistles so even reason will teach us that since the curse hath devoured our Fathers we cannot without this spirituall tillage and seed of Gods word be fruitfull in this harvest for God hath appointed seed for every fruit and although he can yet will not worke without it where he giues it now we know that wicked persons haue no loue to this truth hate it reject it and will not yeelde their strength unto it Thirdly The heart of a wicked man so farre forth as it is wicked is incapeable of these fruits of holinâ—sse for whereas all these graces consist in subjection and conformitie to the law of God our flesh cannot bee subject to this Law Rom. 8.7 It is with our barren nature as with some hungry soiles they must be mended nay new moulded before they can be fruitfull that salt of the Sanctuarie must be cast into us as into the waters of Iericho before we can be healed Looke as that water received into the suspected wife if shee were defiled entered into her bowels and rotted her if innocent hurt her not but made her fruitfull Numb 5. 27. 28. so this water which we drinke in the house of God when wee receiue it into a polluted soule workes to our destruction but when we cleered by our high Priest and by him justified receiue it with a pure affection it fills us with the blessed fruit of all holinesse Fourthly Wheresoever is this spirituall life of holines it
THE WAY TO BLESSEDNES A TREATISE OR COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST PSALME PSAL. 119. 1. Blessed are the vndefiled in the way who walke in the Law of the Lord. By PHINEES FLETCHER B. in D. and Minister of Gods Word at Hilgay in NORFOLKE LONDON Printed by I. D. for Iames Boler and are to be sold at the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1632. TO MY MOST HONORED FREE AND BOVNTIFVLL Patron Sir HENRY WILOVGHBY Baronet and to his most worthy Lady all blessings of this and a better life Sir THe ignorant generally complaine of too much preaching and some learned of too much writing The first haue no eyes to see either the grace of God in his word or their owne want of grace for want of that gracâ—ous word The other I thinke in this haue squint eyes or at least looke not the râ—ght way to the Gospell For did they condemne onely the wanton idle and vaine Pamphlets which too licentiously pandaring for lust stand forth in every shop or those turbulent libells which being engendered in earthly mindes breake forth into all bitternesse and fill the world with stormes and schismes who would not rise up with them against the wicked But the bookes by them censured nay despised and derided are such as tend to edification and are scorned either because they savour not of profound and deepe learning or not bumbasted with multiplicitie of reading or not stucke thicke enough with the flowers of Rhetorike when yet our owne experience makes us see these despised labours wonderfully to prosper in the Church whether it bee that the Lord delights to glorifie his power in infirmitie and takes no pleasure in the wisedome of words which makes the crosse of Christ of no effect or as light so the word is most cleere and powerfull when least mixed Famous is that historie of Sozomen who hath left it upon record that in the first Councell of Nice when an heathen Philosopher did not a little stumble the learned Christians a simple old man stept out and with plaine dealing both confuted and converted him No question there is great and even necessarie use of those speciall gifts in the Church yet by such examples the Lord plainely shewes that hee will not haue his meanest grace despised I am perswaded that with as much reason and lesse blasphemie wee may quarrell with the Creator for making so many rivers and fountaines on earth so many starres in heaven as with the Redeemer and blessed Spirit for storing this Kingdome with those gifts which make it as a watered garden and another firmament full of glorious lights shedding their beames into every corner For my selfe if any desire to know the reasons impelling mee to write what before I had spoken and giue way to my private and weake meditations to looke out in publike upon so learned an Age the chiefe are these First That redoubled and trebled commaund of our most gracious Saviour Feed my sheepe together with that inforcing motiue As thou lovest mee Oh! who can loue him sufficiently who loved to death whose loue passeth knowledge Or how can any man feed too much when no man can loue enough Therefore that Apostle there so adjured contented not himselfe to feed by preaching but to this day feedes us by his writing The same precept is often by his blessed Spirit pressed upon his Ministers Feed the flocke of Christ. As every man hath received the gift so let him administer it â—o other as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Take heed to your selues and to the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud O strong adjuration Now God forbid that I should ever esteeme any paines sufficient for that for which God thought not his bloud too much Secondly The streight account which our Soveraigne Lord hath foretold he will exact of all his servants to whom he commits these treasures of his grace so that the single talent shall bee accountable and the slothfull person adjudged to a fearefull condemnation and execution for not putting it to the banke Thirdly The profit of Gods people especially those committed to me by Christ. Surely there is a wonderfull loue betweene a faithfull Pastor and his faithfull people The Galatians could giue their eyes Aquila and Priscilla their liues to the Apostle But beyond all admiration was the loue of that Apostle who not onely loved the more the lesse he was beloved their neglect as it were by Antiperistasis kindling and enflaming his affections but could willingly deferre his joyes with Christ in heaven and still liue under the bloudie persecution of Iewes Gentiles false Brethren and which is worse then all these the fierie opposition and loathsome but forced struglings with remainders of sinne that hee might build the Church He knew not which to choose his presence with Christ in infinite felicitie or his edifying the Church with all worldly miserie Lastly Though there be eueÌ„ innumerable lights heaven yet is ther not one in vaine the very least and most obscure haue their use their light and influence yea those infinite little starres which by us cannot be discerned by reason partly of their distance partly of their smalnesse yet doe they paue embrighten and point out that milkie way in heaven And I doubt not but this little and weake worke shall through his power who brings light out of daâ—kenesse direct some or further them in that blessed way to eternall life But it may bee some will stop my way with slight eâ—tertainment and strong opposition of the world This cannot weigh with those stronger arguments inciting mee to this dutie I remember the Astronomers distinguish the visible fixt starres into six severall magnitudes Those of the first and chiefest exceed the whole earth in quantitie an hundred and seven-fold and even the most obscure and cloudy of the sixt magnitude eighteen-fold with advantage Thus those first and great starres the holy Apostles their followers and immediate Successours how wonderfully they did surmount the whole earth may easily appeare in this that when all the world interposed it selfe to ecclipse their light yet did they then shine more bright and filled the whole earth with the glorious splendour of the Gospell of Christ. So even in these last ages we haue knowne that notwithstanding all the opposition of Popes Emperours and many other Princes the whole earth indeed being banded against a very few and farre inferiour to those fiâ—st Ministers yet did they overcome all their malice and shed the long obscured light into all parts of the Christian world For my selfe I rest assured that one heavenly sparke in the least of those starres shining in the right hand of Christ shall not nor cannot by any earthly opposition bee so ecclipsed but that it shall breake through and both enlighten and enflame some of those whom God hath chosen It
may be some also will object that other more learned and every way more sufficient haue already laboured in this Vineyard and set forth their workes on this Psalme I willingly confesse it yet I know not any more but one even that eloquent Apollos powerfull and mightie in the word and am certaine that learned and religious men will not disdaine that when hee from this living fountaine hath filled his silver Cisterne I should also with my earthly pitcher draw and poure out some of the same water of life unto the sheepe of my Master Now most worthy Patrone I haue beene bold to entitle you and your worthy Lady to this labour not onely in remembrance of your much loue and my long courteous entertainment in your house such as I never saw any Gentleman giue unto their Minister or that first I initiated my weake Ministerie in your Familie and Hamlet but especially because I acknowledge my selfe and whatsoever is mine Yours in the Lord Iesus Christ To whose grace and fulnes of it he shall ever commend you and all yours who thirsts and longs for your soule PHINEES FLETCHER To my deere Parishioners of HILGAY in NORFOLKE CHristian Brethren my conscience and he thaâ— is greater then the conscience beares me witnes that I never spared any paines for your profit either publike or private but by prayer for you and preaching to you haue laboured with all nay aboue my strength to bring you to that true knowledge of God and our Lord Iesus Christ and settle you in his grace What is wrought in every ones heart God onely knowes But blessed be his name for ever some fruit the Lord of the Harvest hath made me see springing some even ripening which hath encouraged me to publish this little worke not onely that other Christians if it please the Lord may receiue some helpe but especially that you of this flocke whom God hath called may be further builded in your most holy faith and others who haue yet resisted may either be recalled and brought home or else being convinced haue a testimonie witnessing to their faces their rebellion and justifying their condemnaâ—ion both here and in the day of the Lord. Neither haue I beene disheartned by the opposition of some instruments of Satan but accounting their malicious and causelesse quarrelling the second marke of Gods effectuall working by my infirmitie I haue with more heart and cheerefulnesse laboured in the worke of God Now my Brethren and dearely beloved in the Lord Iesus Christ I beâ—eech you in the Lord remember and well consider your holy calling You professe your selues Christians even the followers of Christ and you haue and may here againe evidently discerne the Lord by his Spirit shewing you the old and good way and leading you in it by footing of this excellent Prophet Now manifest your selues to be as your are and will be called be Christians follow the voice of the Lord in his word follow his followers and set your feete into the path of life Will you walke in the counsell of the ungodly stand in the way of sinners sit downe in the seat of scorners Will you sweare curse lie slander will you drinke roare will you speake wantonly will you with such carelesnesse profane the Sabboth despise God in his saving Ordinances neglect the Lord in your families and then thinke and say We shall be delivered though we doe all these abominatioÌ„s Take heed my Brethren we serue a most gracious but yet a jealous God whose jealousie shall smoke against such despisers to bring all the fearefull curses temporall and eternall threatned in the Law upon such a rebellious miserable creature Deut. 29. 19. 20. To conclude deare Brethren after whom I long in the bowels of Christ the Lord hath set before you life and death blessing and cursing the same Lord giue you an heart to choose life that here waying in grace hereafter you may be filled with glorie Amen LORD IESVS Amen So shall ever pray Your faithfull Pastour Phinees Fletcher ¶ The Preface to every Christian Reader IN all Sciences whether liberall or manuall that Scholler makes the most happy progresse whose Master doth first by instruction lay downe before him the grounds of his Art and then farther opens them by practise and example That guide will best conduct us who not onely points out the way with his finger but beats it with his foote and cheerefully calls us after him This happines our great and onely Doctor affords us in his scriptures who both propounds distinctly the mysteries of our faith in the Gospell and the rule of our manners in the law and with all illustrats both in the plaine tracte beaten by himselfe and his faithfull members whose footsteps of holy faith and conversation printed deepe before us haue made the way much more easie for us that follow It is no small light to us when we see the combate between the Spiâ—it and the flesh doctrinally expressed Gal. 5. 17. But when we behold it acted personally in the Apostle Rom. 7. and view him wrastling with that loathsome and cumbersome enemie even the bodie of death sometime taking sometime giving the foyle crying out for helpe and breaking forth into thankes for his victorie it doth not onely cleare our understanding but powerfully workes on our affections shewes our enemie and kindles us against him first teacheth us that fight we must then instructs us how to fight how to overcome and how to use the conquest Therefore I dare boldly affirme and every good Christians experience will confirme it no portion of scripture yeelds more comfort to a soule struggling with sinne and almost fainting under the burthen of corruption then that duell there managed by the Apostle under the persoÌ„s of all the faithfull And this is the reason why the booke of Psalmes is by all acknowledged the most profitable and usefullâ— because we here behold lively drawne by Gods owne finger not onely the face and hands the outward profession and actions but the very heart of that man who was according to Gods owne heart and so may take there a full view of every limb and be acquainted with every joynt and feature of the new and inward man wee shall there see that heart ever in action continually drawing from that living fountain the word to which it cleaues unseparably the waters of life and having throughly concocted them in the affection returning them againe to every part for growth and practice Sometime we may perceiue him as a Conquerour with that stone which the builders refused casting downe the Goliah which deâ—ies the Israel of God even every high thing which exalst it selfe against the knowledge of God yea with his head in his hand bringing into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ sometime againe fainting as in the battell with Ishibenob under the speare of those uncircumcised affections which still border on Gods people and are sworne and restles enemies against
a tongue which having tasted the bitternes of sinne lifts up as bitter and lowd a cry Purge me with Hysop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow and shall I not heed such a warning I will heare the rod and who hath appointed it When he poureth forth the oyle of comfort into thy wounded heart bruised and broken with repentance Take words to thy selfe and say This is that glorious Comforter whom my Saviour hath sent to dwell in me and speake peace unto me that he might be a seale and earnest of his promises and that inheritance purchased with his blood This oyle he brings to my bleeding soule in that horne of Dauid an horne taken from his Altar consecrated and fitted by that holy Annointing I will therefore open my sores unto him and call upon him O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed When thou art exhorted to walke in the good path and to run in the way of Gods commandements thus meditate It is the onely true Way who hath giuen me his Spirit to leade me and he now cals vpon me by the voice of such a Guide who conducts me no farther nor faster then himselfe by his owne example goeth before me and shall not I hasten my slow feete and spurre on my dull affections to follow Yes certainely I will say unto him Let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse Draw me and I will run after thee O enlarge my heart and I will runne in the way of thy Commandements In all thy course let this thought of thy Guide never depart from thee but commune thus with thine owne heart what is there that should stop me in this way What is there that should not rather incite and hasten me Shall I say I have great possessions promoted to some high oâ—fice increased in children keepe a great familie and burdened with many affaires both publike and private But how farre did this my Guide exceed me in all outward blessings Yet I find that every where he useth them as so many cords to pull on his heart with more force to the practice of Godlinesse Should I complaine of discouragements trouble contempt poverty affliction What a shame were this to me when I heare him professing They had almost conumed mee upon earth but I forsooke not thy precepts The proud have had me exceedingly in derision yet have I not declined from thy Law I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy statutes Trouble and anguish are come upon mee yet are thy Commandements my delight Follow therefore cheerfully so good a Leader and learne of him in riches to be rich in good workes in poverty to be poore in spirit to imploy all thy power to adorne and beautifie the Temple of God within thee and when thou art despised by worldly Michals for thy zeale and cheerfulnesse in Gods service to be more vile and low in thine owne eyes 2 Reâ—utation Let us here not so much refute as detest and accurse those Popish blasphemies concerning this and other Scriptures Surely though a reverend opinion and speech of the written Word be not ever an infallible signe of a faithfull Christian yet an un-reverend aestimation contemptuous and disgracefull speech is a sure argument of infidelity and Atheisme The Ancients received the Scriptures as the Iudge sent from heaven and the voyce of Christ which they durst not censure but by which they censured all other writings yeelding to the Canonicall Scriptures and to them alone an un-deniable consent Thus Origen thus Austen And above other Scriptures they wonderfully extolled the Psalmes affirming the Prophet was a most sweet and delightfull companion of our journey relieving and helping all sorts that travaile this way becomming all to all men that there is nothing which we may not learne in the Psalmes that such as with a faithfull and serious mind exercise themselues in the Psalmes are in a manner fellowed with the Angels of God Thus Nazianzen Austen Chrysostome Bernard Now how they which boast so much of Antiquitie and the onely Church agree with the Ancients and with the true Church we may perceive in this particulars It is almost incredible how basely and despitefully they speake of the Oracles of God Let me cleare this point a little 1. They aâ—firme the Scriptures mistie and darke despising that woe pronounced on those who call light darkenesse and darkenesse light nor once fearing in evident termes to contradict the Spirit of truth who so often cals it light 2. They obscure it by many Apocryphall and humane writings which as the Moone under the Sunne mingled with the word of truth make a fearefull Ecclipse in the Church commanding those Bastard writings to be received as the Genuine with aequall authority and estimation 3. They have set up an earthly Meteor exhaled from their own braine to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another counterfeit Sunne to confront the true in pretence to supply the defects of it This is their Traditions in word equaling but in deed preferring them before the Scripture 4. The better to depresse the splendour of it they haue laboured to hide it under a bushell under the veile of an vnknowne tongue And of many other haue they chosen the Vulgar translation as Authenticall which of all the rest is knowne and by some of their own confessed to be the most barbarous spotted and defectiue commanding it under censure of Anathema to be received and in no pretence whatsoever in any thing rejected 5. They affirme the Scripture is no further a light then it shall please the Pope to kindle and light it up by his breath and interpretation defining that whatsoever hath the holy Fathers exposition hath the very word of God though he know not whether it doe nor how it can possibly agree with the word expounded peremptorily decreeing that no man presume to receive it in any other sense then the holy Mother Church interprets it whose Prerogative it is to unfold it 6. With monstrous impudence they dare maintaine that the strength of all former Councels and if of all then of that Councell also which was held by the Apostles and all Doctrines depends upon the authority of the present Church Lastly they reproach and revile it that it is a nose of waxe a Lesbian or leaden rule that it may be well defended as godlily spoken that the Scriptures without the Churches authority is of no more force then AEsops fables and there the same Hosius stickes not plainely to say that the Scripture should have little waight with them without the Churches authority Nay a Priest in a controversie with my selfe blasphemously averres which testimony of Iesuiticall doctrine I will ever keepe by me that the Scripture was not written by the command of God nor of set purpose but by chance I have seene
some so grossely painted that the daubing being melted in the Sunne hath hung by drops upon their cheeks discovering their deformitie publishing their shame Thus it is with this painted whore of Rome As thus they spue out their gall upon the Scriptures in generall for they are those two faithfull witnesses which vex these earthly men so especially hath that Piller of the Councell held in Constance disgorged his splene against the booke of Psalmes in particular David sayth he wrote some fâ—w Psalmes why might he not For even now no Prince is forbidden to make rithmes psalmâ—s or verses in the praise of God all sorts of us learned and unlearned turne Poets Thus far the Cardinall Consider now whether this be not the beast which usurpes the hornes the power of the Lambe but speakes with the tongue of the Dragon Reproofe 1. First those are here to be rebuked who from this gracious dealing of God continually plying them by ceaseles teaching admoniâ—hing and exhorting take no notice of their indisposition and backwardnesse nor giue any credit unto this truth when this their untowardnesse is evidently discovered unto them It is strange to see what strangers men are at home like some idle Gallants who wander through all the world and know nothing of their owne Countrey So these Salomons fooles their eyes walke through the world but never looke into their owne hearts Surely as the eyes of our body stand naturally outward and cannot turne themselues to spie out any thing within so the mindes of naturall men can rowle themselues every way but haue no sight inward Hence it is that wicked men being altogether unacquainted with themselues and meere forreiners in their owne hearts cannot endure to be alone which the Philosopher giues as a good reason why impious men hate solitarinesse and hence flowes that vaine and proud conceit of our owne abilities despising censuring others discerning every mote in our neighbours but not the beame in our owne eye How scornfully did the Pharises heare themselues taxed with blindnesse They could soone spie the Apostles hands unwashed but never dreamt of their own unwashed hearts and those stinking in-sides which never felt any water How soone could they finde out the Apostles not so frequently fasting as themselues but the stewes in their owne eyes fraught with adulteries the carrion of their owne spirits rotting in the graue of hypocrisie but fairely whited over they never thought of it As the blind man in the Gospell could perceiue nothing till his eyes began to be opened but then soone had feeling of his imperfection in sight and the first thing he saw was his want of perfect sense discerning men as trees so while we lie in the darkenesse of ignorance we discover no weaknesse but so soone as the light of Gods spirit enters into the heart we presently finde out a world of wickednesse what man is able till God set in his hand to make the ignorant man see and acknowledge his ignorance As the naturall so the spirituall foole the greater ideot he is the better hee conceits of himselfe as wiser then seven men that can render a reason The truth is they haue not so much wit as to know they haue none who can perswade the naturall man that his heart is an Adamant that his eare is im-passable and must be bored See the conceit of men Deut. 5. 27. Doe but you say they to Moses heare God and declare it to us and wee will heare and doe it this they ignorantly and arrogantly spake of themselues when yet God had not given them hearts to perceiue eyes to see eares to heare unto that day Thus is it at this day with those whose eyes eares and hearts God hath not opened they neither doe nor can perceiue their owne wants and so thinke and speake proudly of themselues that they haue good hearts to God that they haue good intents strong faith loue to God with all their soules c. But when God sheds his light into their soules what a cloud of ignorance hardnes of heart what coldnesse what deadnes what unbeliefe what a world of factious flesh rebelling against the spirit doe they perceiue in thâ—mselues Take heed of this spirituall pride rooted in ignorance for as the corne must grow downeward before it can shoot upward so must thou fall in thy selfe before thou canst rise in Christ dye to thy selfe before thou canst liue to him learne first to bee a foole before thou canst be wise Here likewise is fit occasion to reproue that heedlesse disposition never considering that God speakes in his word whither we heare or readâ— If Christ had not known both our carelesnesse in hearing and danger of this negligence he would not needâ—esly haue warned us take heed how you heare and so frequently haue wakened our attention crying out he that hath eares to heare let him heare Some out of weakenesse together with Satans lying in waite and want of right preparation soone forget what they are doing never imagining that the work of their salvation is in hand and that Christ himselfe by the mouth of his messâ—ngers is treating with them When we read the word too seldome doe we obserue who holds the hand of the writer and thus the devill steales away our life from us Certainely most hearers are as the high way their hearts and eares so traversed and trampled by vaine thoughts and worldly cares going and comming and continually passing to and fro that they heare little obserue lesse profit nothing why doe not we spie out our dissolute behaviour and judge our selues before God Nay how many are there which deny the Lord and say it is not he The obstinate resolution of many to continue in sinne so hardens their hearts that they deny their ownâ— knowledge and will not beleeue what they dare not nor cannot gaine-say See those Israelites they knew Ieremy a true Prophet for they had a deare-bought experience of God speaking by him therefore they come to inquire of him and solemnly sweare to follow the advice of God given by him yet when he crost them in their particular and purposed designes they giue him nay indeed their owne consciences witnessing for him the lie Thou speakest slalsly Thus when the covetous heareth the thunders of the word against riotours or the riotour against the niggard they can yeeld some honour to it and at least in word acknowledge the voice of God but when the reproofe is brought home to their owne doores and layd to their hearts then presently we shall heare the Prophets shall be as the winde the word is not in them thus shall it be to them If we could but open our eyes to see the danger of this carelesse behaviour surely it would provoke us to more diligence the danger either in respect of God or the creature The crowes are not so busie in thy seed-time as
in the will affections the same will which hâ—retofore refused to hearken anâ— pull'd away the shoulder now chuses and rests in that object of faith which before it rejected Mary hath chosen the best part The affections are from earthly changed into heavenly honouring and fervently loving what they despised heretofore and hated They who are fleshly savour the things of the flesh but the spirituall man savours the things of the spirit They who are risen with Christ take off their affections from the world and set them upon Christ. The last transformation is in the outward man both in words workes see Ephe. 4. 22 23 24 25 28. the like read Colos 3. 8 9 10 12 14. Man therefore by consenting to the Devill and revolting from God lost that divine image which was printed in him but received a new Character of Satan being wholy conformed to that Prince of darkenesse But God in much mercy having compassion on men and chusing them to his glory hath set out his word as a fire and hammer to melt and fashion them againe to that image which they left and so restore them unto their former puritie and estate Thus his word is his voyce crying oâ—t unto us Stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and you shall find rest for your soules againe he puts forth his power with his voyce whence the word is called his power to salvation so that as in the creation he spoke the word and it was done his voyce being actiue and doing what is commaunded so in this new creation when he speakes the word let there be light let there be fruit instantly light and fruit insues when therefore men hearkning unto this powerfull word working salvation are renewed in their mind and walke in newnesse of life they find no little rest and peace to their soules for the present and are in the way to that eternall and glorious rest in which consists the supreame perfection and happinesse of man Wilfull continuance and stubborne perseverance in a sinfull course after warning and admonition from God in his word is a state much further from blessednesse then grosse ignorance He is lesse worthy of favour who knows his Maisters will and doth it not then he that neither doth nor knowes it rebellion is no better then witchcraft Those words Acts 17. 30. that time of ignorance God regarded not though they cannot be wrested to any connivence of God as if he winked and would not see those foule sinnes of the Heathen yet cannot but import more danger to such as continue in this ignorance when God hath suâ—ficiently revealed himselfe his will Lesse excuse haue they and much deeper condemnation who when light appeared loved darkenesse more then light then such who ever sate in darkenes and the shadow of death The long-suffering of God manifests it self abundantly in bearing forbearing granting longer time summoning by his workes and warning them by his judgements afflictions but especially by his word calling out to them and shewing their danger He speakes once or twice hee whets his sword before he strikes bends his bow and makes it ready before he shootes out those swift arrowes he cuts not off till there is no hope of healing he spares till there is no remedy But the more gracious he hath been in giving warnings the lesse favourable is he in his judgments you only haue I knowne of all the people of the earth therefore will I visite you for your iniquities This certainely is the reason why the Israelites before the comming of Christ were often more sharpely visited with the rod then any other Nation their neighbours after the comming of Christ haue been made the publike spectacle of all the world for misery because in the time of the Prophets the Lord affoorded them many glorious beames of spirituall light more then to all other people and afterwards gaue in unto them that great Light of the world to walke openly before them As their light therefore was more so was their rebellion as their rebellion so their punishment An old diseased body which hath worne out all medicines growes still worse is farthest from recoverie and health When that gâ—eat Husbandman expostulates with his Vineyard what could haue been more done unto my vineyard which I haue not done to it and yet complaines it brought forth wild grapes it was far from a blessing when the more we are smitten the more we fall away so that from the head to the foote there is nothing but swellings and sores full of corruption we are far from health When we turne the backe not the face to God let us know it had beene better for us not to haue known the way of righteousnesse then after we haue knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement Here is fit occasion and the times require it to confute and reproue our obstinate Papists who in name only are Catholikes who having been convinced or at least vexed with the light of the Gospell haue some hated resisted and blasphemed some winked and shut their windowes against itâ— that it might not enter stubbornly resolving to cleaue vnto that man of sinne and stand fast in his accursed and palpable errours Is not that child of perdition revâ—aled Hath not the finger of God in his word painted and pointed him out that hee who even shuts his eyes cannot but grope and feele him Haue not his stoutest Champions been driven by dint of that two-edged sword into shamelesse corners and beene forced in his defence to steele their fore-heads and without blushing to dâ—ny things as generally knowne confessed and openly in view as the Sunne in his brightnesse As namely that the ancient head-ship or government of Rome by Emperours stands yet firme that the Emperour of Germanie is the Emperour Commaunder or Head of Rome who yet hath lesse to doe there then the Popes skullian Are they not compelled to deny that other Kings haue shared out the Empire among them and so are bound to maintaine that this Territorie subject to their Emperour which is hardly equall to a Dukedome must bee divided into tenne Kingdomes Yea that the Kingdome of Antichrist shall bee not a mystery of iniquitie but an heathen persecution Are they not compelled to grant and maintaine impossibilities that the Devill shall beget Antichrist of a woman this woeman must be of the tribe of Dan that in three yeares and an halfe Antichrist shall conquer and subdue more Countries then it is possible for any man in that space to travell and run thâ—ough Fitly doth the Spirit compare the Grecian Monarchie to a Leopard the swiftest of foure footed creatures and yet winged nay beyond any fowle with foure wings for more speed because in so short a time as ten yeares that most
we may more then probably gather from one to another but especially to the Patriarchs by inspiration and gift of Prophecie But in processe of time when he had called out a Nation sanctified them to himselfe to be his Church and people he contracted this spirituall light into the body of the Scripture and appointed not onely the people in his Chuâ—ch but even the Starres the Ministers to take from it what they brought to us and to shine with no other beames to the people then which they drew from the word Hence the Prophet recals the people to this fountaine of light to the law to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no lightâ— in them Hence so often called Light and the Apostle as before witnesseth that the Minister is made wise to salvation and perfect to every good worke by it As therefore the Creatour framed one great originall light to rule the day so that by the beames of it the creature might haue power to discerne all things necessarie to be seene so to this end he calleth the Scripture light because he hath given it a lightsome qualitie whereby it discovers unto us whatsoever is necessary to eternall life and it might direct and instruct us in every good way and worke for surely words are to the eare the same that light is to the eye the eye by light discerneth things visible and distinguisheth every creature which it seeth so the word of man opens his intention to us which else lieth hidden in his heart and is altogether imperceptible Thus the word of God doth manifest unto us the will and purpose of God and cleerely reveales to all and every one what is necessary for them to know as being all plaine to them that will understand Now then seeing God cannot dissemble and it were blasphemie to affirme that he who hath given us Christ would giue us an obscure light which should make us doubtfull in seeing and should utter words to discover his minde which wee cannot understand this he doth in judgment to the reprobate but he deales not so with his children see Mar. 4. 11. 12. How lewdly doth he thinke of God who should affirme that he giues to his children a word cals it light commaunds them so to use it and continually to converse with it which yet is darke and imperfect and may easily deceiue them 2. The word whether that which God hath written downe for our eyes by the hands of his Secretaries or that which he speaketh to our â—ares by the mouth of his Messengers is the very law doctrine and word of that great Iehova the Lord of all and therefore so to be received with more reverence and subjection then any word or law of any creature The first of these is evidently affirmed here namely that this doctrine is the law of the Lord the second necessarily deducted that therfore it must bee received with all submission and obedience which becomes us servants to so great a Lord. Neither can this doctrine be confined to the Scriptures onely seing God doth not onely by writing but by preaching teach us the way to happinesse and lead us in it Hence is it that as the Scriptures are sayd to be inspired of God and by the moving of the holy Ghost so our Saviour without any ambiguitie plainely testifies that he speakes and is heard in his Ministers Flesh and bloud stands out against this truth and by no meanes will yeeld to it that the Ministers who now liue speake the very word of God and that the word which they heare is indeed not mans but Gods The Prophets say they and Apostles were extraordinary men and furnished with peculiar gifts for such a calling and with an unerring spirit therfore their word was infallibly Godâ— message and so to be received but not so the Ministers of our times who haue not the same gifts but may erre and be deceived True it is that the Prophets and Apostles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so infallibly assisted by the Spirit that they could not erre in their preaching and therefore their word without skanning might be safely received by those who knew them to be such But because even the faithfull themselues did not at the first thus know them therefore they examined their preaching by the touch-stone of the Scripture Paul was a singular Apostle in doctrine and miracles c. yet did not the faithfull take his word at adventure but tryed it by the Scripture and then gaue credit to it Acts 17. 11. Nay certainly had even these men though knowne Apostles preached other doctrine then was revealed in the written word it might not be received And therefore though the Ministers of these times are nothing comparable to them in gifts yet being Messengers of the same God sent by him when they speake the same doctrine which was before by them published and after left in writing they speake no lesse the word of God then they unlesse we thinke the qualitie of man can alter the truth of God When Satan spoke Thou art the holy one of God was it not the truth When Balaam a false Prophet over-ruled by God prophecied was not the prophecietrue because the tongue was false and might nay often did speake lies How much more is that word to be received as the truth of God which being spoken by his Messengers is no other then himselfe hath written In the time of the Law as there were some extraordinary Ministers as Prophets so were there ordinary Teachers the Levites who expounded the Law instructed the people and dare any man deny their preaching to be the word of God So was it likewise in the times of the Apostles They ordained Ministers in every congregation and was not their word the embassage of God Epaphras no Apostle and as farre as wee can gather no inspired Preacher yet planted the Church of the Colossians and the word preached by him was the word of Christ the Gospell the word of truth To conclude this point Hence the word delivered by Timothy an inferiour Minister was equally the word of God as if it had beene uttered by the Apostle see 1 Thes. 2. 13. Nay it must be remembred that those words of our Saviour he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me were not spoken to the Apostles but to the seventie Disciples and then when as yet the holy Ghost was not given nay when as yet the Apostles themselues were altogether unacquainted with the chiefe mysteries of salvation even the death and resurrection of Christ. But if any man reply that he cannot giue so assured assent unto the word now preached as to that of the Apostles let him know the fault is in himselfe not in the word and Ordinance of God for he ought to be so stedfastly grounded in the truth that if Angels from heaven
the Spirit resembles the word to an hammer that breaketh the stone and doctrine to morter which holds us in this building so is it that meanes whereby God builds further When our happinesse is compared to an harvest then the word is called seed the Prâ—achers of it sowers The word likewise is raine thâ— Preachers those that water When the blessed estate of man is compared to an inheritance the word is not onely made the meanes whereby we become Sonnes but is said to giue us inheritance with the Saints Very frequent are these similitudes in the Scripture Looke therefore as in all creatures God hath ordained the fruit and therâ—fore appointed the meanes which being blessed by him bring forth their â—ffâ—cts so in this kinde whom God hath ordained unto eternall life to them he sends his word blesseth it and so produceth the effect purposed by himselfe As when he created the first Adam he created no more though he were Almighty to haue of nothing framed many millions but appointed all other men yea even Eve her self to flow from his loynes so when he gaue our Lord to be the second Adam he decreed that all his Elect should flow from him sâ—t out this immortall seed to this end though he be able of stones to raise up childreÌ„ unto Abraham yet doth he use no other means then this appointed by his own wisdom either to giue this life or to nourish it 2. Seing the word of God is the Guide which leades us to happinesse we learne also hence one of the most principal duties of man namely to heare read record and converse with it imploying his time in it Art thou a Minister of the word then hast thou this precept from God giue attendance to reading take heed unto learning continue therein Art thou an hearer Thou must be swift to heare It in authoritie then Gods charge lies upon thee He shall write him this law repeated in a booke and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord. The like command is given to Ioshua Whatsoever thou art hearken to that generall commandement All these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually My sonne hearken unto my words incline thine eare unto my sayings Let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the midst of thy heart Let the word of God dwell in you richly The practise of the Saints answereth this precept Thus David he loves the Law this constant love brought forth continuall meditation So Ieremie and Iob Ier. 15. 16. Iob 23. 12. And even our reason it selfe if we hearken to it will strongly enforce this dutie upon us Our owne sense will tell us that an excellent object of the eye is the writings of mâ—n skilfull wittie and learned whereby with little paines we come to know all the fruit of their studies and reape in a few houres what they haue laboured many yeares Now if the writings of prudent and understanding men in which all their wisedome and their very soules are opened and discovered to us be the most noble object of a reasonable creatures eye then certainely the most excelling object of a Christian eye is the written word of God which unlocks and brings forth unto our view the glorious wisedome of our God Thy reason therfore will frame this argument Every creature ought principally to employ it selfe in that which is the most excellent object of it but the Scripture is the most excellent object of the eye therefore the eye must especially busie and employ it selfe in conversing with the Scripture So likewise the most proper object of the eare is sound the most excellent object of the eare is the voice of man and words expressing their notions but that which infinitely excells it is the word of God and his voice unfolding his gracious purpose towards us and therefore aboue all other to be most attended followed The most proper object of the understanding is truth the most excellent then must be the truth of God Certainly the highest degree of happinesse consisteth in our likenesse to God and therefore our beholding him as he is being the meanes whereby we are conformed to his image is of all other things most to bee desired When therefore we shall see him face to face and know him as we are knowne then shall we in our measure be perfected after the similitude of his glory see 1 Iohn 3. 2. Thus when Moses desired to see the glory of God though hee could not see him face to face which no man living on earth can doe but the backe parts alone that is discerned so much onely of his glory as our imperfect nature can receiue as when we see the backe of a man our knowledge is but imperfect yet his face shined so gloriously that the people yea his owne brother Aaron feared to come neere him Our imperfect happinesse then to which we may attaine on earth is to bee imperfectly conformed to his likenesse in some degree of holinesse which is effected by beholding him in his word For now in the prâ—ached word of God we see him not indeed face to face yet not as the Iewes veiled but with open face and so by looking into that perfect myrrour wherin he shines forth unto us in his grace we are changed into the same image by the spirit of the Lord. Looke as the eye receiues into it selfe the object or thing it sees so that it may be seene in the eye so the understanding being as the Philosopher speakes all to all taking into it selfe the image of God expressed in his word is more more conformed unto it A seale joyned to waxe brings forth the same impressure when therefore the Spirit having graven this image of God in his holy word thâ—n applies it effectually to the understanding it cannot but produce the same image and stampe If therefore we would diligently consider and compare those places Iâ—r 9.23.24 and Rom. 10. 14. we would soone confesse 1. that all our good consisteth in the knowledge of God and 2. that the knowledge of God depends on his word and then necessarily acknowledge that it is a maine dutie of every man to converse with the word of God and continually to meditate in it 3. It is also a second dutie belonging to every Christian to bring forth this word which he hath layd up in his heart for the edification of others as occasion shall bee offered this is especially intended by the Apostle Let every man as he hath received the gift minister the same one to another If thou art in the Ministerie then hast thou a strict charge from God to feede the flocke and to be instant in season and out of season If thou art one of
affaires but much more in spirituall you haue forgotten the consolation Heb. 12. 5. The Israelites forgot the workes of God Psal. 78. 11. 42. The very Apostles very forgetfull Mat. 16. 9. 3. We are dull of hearing hard to conceiue these spirituall lessons Heb. 5. 11. The Apostles perceived not the miracle of the loaues Mat. 16. 9. when Christ spake most plainely they vnderstood him not Luke 18. 31 32 33,34 Looke as a man travelling in a journey howsoever for a night he takes vp his Inne yet if he doe not continually goe on and in the morning set forward againe he cannot come home so here much more Had the Israelites returned to AEgypt had they sate downe in the Wildernesse had they not in due season still made on they could not haue come to the Land of rest and promise 1. Here is condemned that obstinate and wilfull conceit of men who dreaming of many other Guides to a blessed estate are wilfully resolved to resist this truth that God hath given them his word to be his onely conduct to happinesse There is a cursed disposition in our nature whereby wee are prone to râ—sist the holy Ghost speaking in his word See Esay 63. 10 Act. 7. 51. This rebellious affectioÌ„ our Saviour noted in those Iewes I am come in my Fathers name and you receiue me not if any come in his owne name him will you receiue When any lie is brought to us by Satan the world or our deceitful hearts how easily is it entertainâ—d little perswasion needes to draw it on as that God will be mercifull even to those which adde drunkennesse to thirst see Deut. 29â—19 20 that by our good meaning and honest intent wee shall comâ— to heaven that in grosse ignorance neglect and contempt of the word we shall be saved such â—ies easily find an open doore in the heart of man soone enter and settle there so that it is impossible almost to driue them thence But when God tell us There is no name under heaven by which thou canst be saved but onely by Christ there is no other meanes to make Christ thine but only by faith nothing can worke faith but hearing the word let argument be heaped vpon argument proofe vpon proofe make it never so plaine that now the conscience is utterly convinced yet are men resolved to stand out and deny the conclusion The more foole any man is the more conceit hath he of wisedome in himselfe hence it is that the wisedome of God is despised in the eyes of a carâ—all proud man Suppose any of these men were to travaile a long and dangerous journey of which he knew not one step if then a friend should tell him I haue a servant throughly acquainted with every foote of that way who wil bring you thither safely take him along with you vse him on this occasion who would refuse such a favour how thankfull would we be to the Maister how carefull to follow this Guide how much would wee make of him But when the Lord our best friend giues us his word the onely Guide to conduct us to himselfe and in himselfe who is both the way and our happines at the end of it we cannot be perswaded to make any or at least any right vse of it we thinke we can tell the way as well as he though indeed we never knew nor trod any one step in it and in this our wilfulnesse we goe headlong to our destruction 2. That strange neglect of this great dutie hearing reading remembring and repeating in our hearts what we haue heard is here to be censured The times which God himselfe hath sanctified for the hearing of his word is it carefully observed and spent in this employment As any man is more vile and abject so doth he more vilely esteeme and cast behind his backe this commandement of God Who accounts himselfe a servant to Christ bound to waite upon the posts of his doores Who thinkes himselfe blessed that he may heare him Doe not men say as those Israelits Wee are Lords wee will come no more at thee Were it a matter of profit or merriment men could not be kept nor staved off from it Certainly men in this openly shew that they haue lesse faith then the Devils For even these cursed spirits both know the necessitie of the word preached and are perswaded that by it men attaine a blessed estate but these brute beasts and far worse giue no credit to God himselfe professing to them this truth So also the reading of the word how is it slighted by men Who sets out a time and resolues to spend it in this dutie Alas it is shouldred out by every idle occasion some haue farmes some haue bought oxen some are married any frivolous excuse is good enough the common plea is businesse One hath a great charge and family he must provide for it another is taken up with publike affaires he can spare no time a third is a poore man liues by his labour he can hardly get himselfe bread c. But 1. Know all excuses are vaine and cannot put off the expresse command of God Thou followest thy publike businesse why so Perhaps thy Prince commaunds and expects it And is Gods commaund of no force with thee Thou art a poore man need driues thee to worke for thy living and art thou not more poore and beggerly in spirit and wilt thou not supply thy necessitie Thou must provide for thy familie why so God commaunds it and doth not the same God commaund thee to read his word and exercise thy selfe in it Is it not a more evident token of an Infidell to neglect the labour in thy heavenly then in thy â—arthly calling 2. Can businesse excuse thee Is then the word of God an idle matter and onely for idle times Must this chiefe and speciall action of thy life giue place to every vaine occasion Should we heare a Husbandman professe that he had so much businesse that he could find no time to plow or sow who would not thinke the man mad And art thou better in thy wits who prosessing Christianitie pleadest thou hast no leasure by reasoâ— of other employments to busie thy selfe in the word of God 3. Businesse cannot excuse but must incite rather to this dutie The affaires of Princes are endlesse yet giue them no exemption from this practice all the dayes of their life as we heard before Deut. 17. 19. Câ—rtainely the more businesse thou hast and employment in earthly matters the more need hast thou of conversing with the word as being thy Guide directing thee how to passe through these cares with a good cleere and cheerefull conscience as also a meanes to make all thy affaires to prosper 4. Thine owne practise will condemne thee There is a time for every purpose under the Sunne and thou will not suffer any one employment so to engrosse thy time but that other occasions shall be served in
strongly enough in that filiall awe which is due to his parent and shall not the feare of Gods anger hiding his face shall not his threatning word at which the hearts of his children melt like wax nay shall not his roddes so many so smarting hold our slippery neckes in his yoke from such a desperate and finall contempt of his authoritie see Iob 33. 16. 17. 18. and Psal. 89. 31. 32. 33. To conclude how shall he runne into all disorder whose steppes are ordered by God Psal. 37. 23. how shall he lose his way whose wayes are preserved by God Prov. 2. 8. and to whom purposely is given wisedome and knowledge to keepe him in the good way and to deliver him from evill wayes and evill men Pro. 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Try we here whether we are transplanted from our natiue soile that dry wildernesse of sinne into the Paradise of God They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of the house of our God they shall bee fruitfull c. Looke now into thine heart and consider what fruit thou findest there Doth that peace of God rule in thy heart Hast thou striken a covenant with the Lord Art thou washed in the blood of the Covenant so hast received reconciliation This is a sure fruit of thy transplantation But take heed least thy peace bee with Satan thy covenant with hell if thou art at peace with the world and the world with thee if thou art in league with sinne thou hast no peace with God 2. See where thy joyes are seated If thy joy haue the root in the Spirit it is busied in spirituall objects Obserue then what is that w ch stirs up thy heart to rejoyceâ— if the loue of God to thee in Christ if the loue of thy soule to God if other gifts of the Spirit if the promises of God in Christ applied and brought home to thy heart by faith this joy is a fruit of the Spirit but if thy joy be earthly so art thou if thy joy sinfull thou art no other thou rejoycest because the world comes in upon thee it makes thee to smile to see the world smile on thee thou rejoycest when thou dost evill and when thou prosperest in the evill which thou dost thy joy is sensuall and divellish Thus is it in the rest Dost thou cry for knowledge dost thou blow up thy loue to God labouring to fasten thy soule to Christ in that feare the bond of our covenant Dost thou sigh and grone under the burden of unbeliefe Dost thou stirre up thy soule to hold Christ and rest upon him Dost thou bring on thy soule to delight in the Lord These are the fruits of the Spirit the contrary certaine signes of a naturall man So is it in those fruits of righteousnesse and sobrietle If thou findest thy soule make on in this way all is well but if thou flatterest thy selfe in thy sinne if thou livest in thy unrighteousnesse in intemperance thou canst not inherite the Kingdome of God 1. Those are here censured who giue no credit to this testimony of God that by a constant delight and meditation in the word they shall assuredly be fruitfull as well in grace as in glory Neither are Papists here onely to be abhorred and accursed who revile and blaspheme this holy word openly and commonly aâ—firming that the reading it by ignorant men is dangerous the way to make them heretickes as the Rhemists say and all the whole Rabble of them without feare giving the lie to the Spirit who testifies that it giues wisedome to the simple Nay further write that to giue this generall libertie to people of conversing with the Scripture is to shew our selues friends to heresie that it is pernicious and impious But our carelesse Professours negligent in this duty are here to consider their folly and hypoâ—risie dissembling with God and man professing that with their mouth which is farre from their heart For aske them doe you desire to be fruitfull in grace and glory Truth will make them confesse the oneâ— and shame the other and doe you beleeue God witnessing that by delight and meditation in the word of God you shall attaine this fruit this they dare not deny and why then doe you not use this meanes why are you so negligent and averse from this practice that you cannot be drawne to it that so many exhortations haue beene spent in vaine upon you Is not this most grosse hypocrisie Should a man make solemne protestation of earnest desires to doe us good yet if some easie meanes were shewed him of doing what he promises and he neglects them will not every man know his former words were nothing but complement and dissembling And is it not so with these who affirme that they indeed desire to be fruitfull in grace but yet when the Lord propounds so easie a way through his blessing to obtaine it neglect this meanes and goe on in a contrary course Oh this is not our practice in earthly affaires and profits The Husbandman upon hope of fruit will take sore paines and tarry long the Merchant will venter life and goods upon likelihood of increase Men will labour hard in studying Physicke Law or other Arts by which they may reape knowledge and profit in those sciences Had therefore thy heart received this truth of God with as much faith as the Devils that thou thoughtest it true and then there were grounded in thee a desire of this fruit it were not possible but thou shouldest set thy selfe to this endeavour especially knowing the fruit is everlasting and glorious the meanes easie and certaine 2. Here many of the Saints are to be reproved whose longings make them so hastie in these fruits that they expect a full growth as soone as they are blossomd or knit that they should be ripe before they are growne But why doth the Lord so often and almost continually compare them to fruits but to teach us that they must haue time to grow up and ripen Now then as he would shew no little folly who as soone as his corne is put into the ground expects it should presently be fit to reape so men shew more passion then wisedome who are ready to repine that the graces of Gods Spirit are not growne and come to maturitie in them when indeed they haue had no time for this fulnesse of growth and are yet but newly enâ—red and grafted into Christ Hee that beleeveth will not make hastâ— This over-hastinesse in setting God his time for accomplishment of his promises is presumptuous and proceeds from unbeliefe and impatience Faith breeds patience we must not therefore limit the holy one of Israell but wait upon the Lord. We our selues will make our children attend upon our leasure especially in those gifts which are of any moment because our experience teacheth us when it is most fit for us to bestow and
of a whole Province so we distinguish the Greeke and Latine East and West Churches some lesser as the Church confined to any one Citie the Churth of Rome the Church of Corinth and some private shut up in one familie see Rom. 16. 5. Philem. 2. There is also a distinction of a true Church which continues in all fundamentall truth delivered by Christ and his Apostles or false which declines to some hereticall doctrines and departs from the foundation either from that rule of faith or manners Thus as the Marcionits Arrians Macedonians c. erring in matter of faith concerning the Godhead or manhood of Christ or concerning the blessed Spirit So the Nicolaitans maintaining filthy and promiscuous lusts were false Churches howsoever they were sound in divers other points of Christian doctrine Now the Congregation here mentioned cannot be stretched to any other but either the invisible or tryumphant Church 3. Lastly the just are those Saints of God which being justified by the blood of Christ are also sanctified by his Spirit So the sense is Howsoever here on earth wicked Atheists heretickes and hypocrites may come in sheepes cloathing and not onely creepe into the flocke but also rule and tyrannise in the visible Church yet as they are no members of the true invisible Church so when that great Shepheard shall separate the goats from the sheepe these wolues in sheepes cloathing shall bee uncased and cast out into their owne place with dogges Proofe Mat 25. ver 31. to the end Revel 21. last ver and 22. 14. 15. The grounds are 1. In the nature of sinners Truth and lies vertue and vice cannot stand together As therefore in the creation there was a separation of light from darknesse so in this perfect renovation 2. From the nature of the Iudge who is of pure eyes and cannot endure sinne but is a consuming fire to such 3. From the time It is the season when Christ shall wipe off all spots and wrinkles from his Church but these are spots and blots in the Assemblies 2 Pet. 2 13. Ephe. 5. 27. Here therefore is manifestly taught us that no sinner that is no man liuing in wilfull sinne and maintaining it in his practise is or can be a true member of Christ or his Church but indeed a very spot and blot in it Truâ— is it that as a field is called a corne field wher there is much and perhaps more weed then good graine and a heape of corne where there is more chaffe not from the greater but better part so a Congregation where many Atheists and hipocrites are miâ—gled with the faithfull is called a true church though indeed those are but as ill humours in the bodie rather griefs then any parts of it They were not of us they were not all of us see Math 7. 23. Hence called as before spots and blots The reasons also confirming this truth are apparent For first every member is and cannot but be of the same nature with the head monsters are they which haue the head â—f one kinde the bodie or any member of an other the head of a man the foote of an oxe But the nature of Christ is the divine nature pure and holy freâ— from sinne therfore also his members haue by in fluence from him been changed into the same diuine nature in that they fly the corruption which is in the world through lust 2. Pet. 1. 4. see also Heb. 7. 26. Secondly he cannot be a member of Christ who by the ordinances of God powerfully working on him by the Spirit is not renewed and changed He that beleeueth and is baptised is saued but he that beleeveth not is damned We are buried in him by baptisme the Gospell preached begets us in Christ But the Gospell and baptism where they are made effectuall by the worke of the Spirit clense and wash from sinne and bring to us that sanctification whereby we are purged Iohn .15 3. Eph. 5. 26. Thirdly sinne doth not onely separate from Godâ— Esa. 59. 2. but when it is in dominion divides us utterly from the government of Christ makes his sweet and â—asie yoke griâ—vous and loathsâ—me If we are members of Christ he is our head and King but where sinne hath dominion Christ his sceptre hath no place 2. Howsoever wolves in sheeps clothing may creepe into the flock of Christ of which Christ hath given us warning Mat. 7. 15. and the Apostle Act. 20.29 30. yet they shall certainly be uncased not onely in the finall iudgement where their hipocrisie shall be stript nakâ—d before all the world and their filthines bared to every eye but here also so farre that the Elect of God shall cleâ—rely discâ—rne and avoyd them as Math. 7. 16. God will lay open their falshood and discover their dissembling see Ierem. 29. 20. 21. 22. 23. Neither is any thing in scripture more evident then this dealing of the Lord who whensoever such Foxes haue entred among his people hath stirred up some eminent person and filled them with singular gifts to resist them least the faithfull might be deceived and drawn away by their hypocrisie Thus God opposeth Moses and Aaron against Iames and Iambres Elias and Elizeus against the Priâ—sts of Baal Iâ—remiah against Hananiah Ahab and Zedekiah Christ and his Apostles against the Scribes Pharises and Iewish false teacheâ—s Thus afterwards as haeretikes began to spring in â—he church hâ— raised up many faithfull pastors to cut downe their lies and display their hypocrisie which is evident in the storie of the Church and eminent this way was that holy Augustine who was called and indeed was the mall of heretickes The reasons also are cleere and plaine First and espâ—cially the loue of God to his Church who as he hath sent his sonne to bring them out of the power of darkenesse and the shadow of death so also hath given his Spirit to guide and lead them into all truth and his word as a touch-stone to try these spirits whether they are of God Secondly The vigilancie and care of those whom God hath set as watchmen who being not hirelings but faithfull Pastors doe not flie when they see the wolfe but giue warning to the sheepe Thirdly There is a spirit of discerning Philip. 1. 10. which God poures out to the faithfull in divers measures according to their place which they hold in the body of Christ to some more to some lesse to all some so that even babes to whom S. Iohn writes may try the spirits whether they are of God 1 Ioh. 4. 1. For even these comparing the doctrine of these hypocrites either with the Scripture or the rule of faith written by God in their hearts and finding the disagreement can refuse and abhorre it see 1 Ioh. 2. 19. 20. 21. Here is offered a very fit occasion to lay open the hypocrisie of that false Church and her apostacie which challengeth to be not onely the true but
are ravished with that beautie of his holinesse and in their prayse double this propertie Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts In man it is the very image when hee is begotten unto God as his child through the immortall seed of his word hee doth resemble his heavenly Father which therefore the Lord commaunds us to follow and to labour for it and sets downe the penaltie of our neglect wee shall never see his face but shall bee banished from his presence It is the very end why God hath chosen us why Christ hath given himselfe for us yea the effect of his bloud the especiall worke of Gods Spirit dwelling in us In a word it is the very nature of God communicated to us There is no sinne therefore which more evidently exalts it selfe against Christ none that reacheth so high toward heaven in defiance of God as this when men despise in heart this image and nature of God and in despitefull termes and gestures publish themselues the scornefull enemies of holinesse How common this divellish profanenesse is may easily bee seene first in fastning the odious name of Sectaries and Heretickes upon those which desire and endeavour to flie the corruption which is in the world through lust and in truth of heart to follow after righteousnesse for if a man with feare and trembling striues to eschew evill and doe good and hath set up his resolution to walke godlily righteously and soberly in this present world how soone is hee branded by worldly and wicked men with the name of a Puritane Which being ancient Heretikes sheltring their ranke and stinking sinnes under that abuse of Scripture To the pure all things are pure pretended themselues to be cleane pure and holy in the practise of all filthinesse Nay they are not afraid if they discerne in any more shewes of godlinesse then ordinary to deride him by applying to him that title which is the most honourable that belongs to a Christian as This is one of the holy Brotherhood one of the holy Sisters Surely if they think them not such and speake ironically accounting them hipocrites of whome they thus speake for thus they excuse themselves then are they most vnexcusable who dare abuse to mockery the greatest honour that ever God vouchsafed the creature to be a Brother and heire with Christ and to apply a name appropriate to Gods Saints unto such as they esteeme no better then whited tombes and painted sepulchers And because folly is the especiall object of contempt they are come to that height of bold Atheisme that they will impudently terme such Gods fooles But as the Apostle affirmes the folly of God to be farre aboue the wisedome of men so these fooles as they call them of God are farre aboue these worldly wise Achitophels who with all their policie can never escape nay by it runne into destruction and perdition of body and soule That these should be Christians who mocke Christianitie that these should bee children of God who scoffe at the Brotherhood of Christ let them beleeue who can for my selfe I cannot see how the greatest charitie which is alwayes joyned with wisedome can otherwise account of these men then of most wretched Infidels filled with contempt of Christ and hellish Atheisme well therefore may we pray against their wickednesse let the lying lips be made dumbe which speake grievous things proudly contemptuously against the righteous We are a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to those that are round about us Render seven fold into their bosome the reproch wherewith they haue reproched thee O Lord. Those that despise the word of God and him in this his Ordinance are here evidently condemned Let such know it is impossible to separate the despising of the meanest in Gods Ministrie from the contempt of Christ and God his Father he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee where Christ in generall speaketh of all Ministers whom hee employeth in the glad tydings of salvation and particularly of such as were not Apostles but the seventie Disciples who if we consider them at that time in the knowledge of Christian mysteries of faith were farre inferiour to the most ordinary Professours at this day In vaine therefore shall men plead before the tribunall of Christ Lord when did we heare thee preaching unto us and scorned thy word for he will nay hath already answered he that heareth whom I send heareth me and therefore what you haue done to the lowest of these my messengers you haue done unto mee Moreover there is nothing more certaine then this judgement of God that hee will mockâ— and scorne thy word when thou with as much earnestnes shalt sue to him as he now to thee Bâ—cause you despised all my counsell I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commâ—th See also Psalme 2. vers 4. And herein the Romish Church manifesteth her whordome in that shee hath and still doth make a mocke of that most holy word of Christ. Surely that which Pope Leo 10. spoke the rest of that Hierarchie thinke and are not dainty to expresse their thoughts in their actions who blasphemously boasted that the fable or tale of Christ had brought them no small advantage Evidently in those two actions doe they discover themselues what they thinke of Religion 1. That they turne the whole streame of it into the bottomlesse gulfe of their covetousnesse and ambition frame it wholy to earthly ends accepting no doctrine nor allowing it as good which tends not to the advancement of the Clergie and either directly or by some fetching about brings them in profit or honour This cannot but appeare to any man who doth not winke or lookes not through Iesuiticall spectacles 2. In that they equall such humane writings with the divine in which shines no sparke of divine light but are branded with manifest untruths and impossibilities and ascribe such workes to the holy Ghost wherein the Authour protests his end of writing to delight the eare of the reader nay desires to be excused for slender and bare speaking Hence arises much consolation to an afflicted soule which having a deepe sense of sinne speakes as the Apostle I am chiefe of sinners How farre soever thou hast gone in evill if thou turne from it and â—efusest any longer to sit in the chaire of scorning thou shalt be accepted and blessed There are three degrees of men departed this life the first when a man is newly dead and layd out another cosâ—in'd and going to the graue a third buried and stinking in the tombe Christ raised all these Iairus daughter in the house the widowes son upon the beare going to the graue Lazarus in the sepulchre he quickens by his spirit not only those that are dead but buried also in sinnes and trespasses Feare not therefore but come unto Christ or rather
receiue Christ comming to thee beleeue onely and thou shalt liue Take heed now to thy foote and enter not into the way of scorners be no more a mocker least thy bonds increase Thou canst not but see every where profane men the plague of these last times making a jest of Religion despising God in his workes in his word in his Saints set not in with them but flie from them as from the pestilence And for a motiue to stop thee from this course consider theiâ— steppes how many feete haue gone that way how few returned Thou shalt find they perish by skores 2 King 2. 24. but hardly one or two single soules retyring safely from this last steppe of sinne But especially awaken thy soule from this sinne with assurance of like measure from God O seriously thinke with thy selfe will not the day come is it not running poast toward me and I know not how neere when I shall fiâ—de no comfort but onely in peace with God My pleasures my wealth will forsake me my friends will weepe for mee my body full of deadly griefes my soule pinched with thousand pangs of conscience the bell summoning me the graue gaping for me my accusers one without another within mee and the Iudge who cannot bee bribed much lesse any longer mocked â—eady to arraine me Oh then how welcome to mee will be the least hope that God would lend me a mercifull eare to heare me If hee should then deride my petition scorne my supplication and laugh at my miserie what can be expected but a fearfull instant damnation how soone would those foule spirits plunge my desolate soule into that eternall torment that lake of fire brimstone Shall I then willingly plucke this infinite misery upon my head Hath not the Truth which cannot lie assured me and will not my reason confirme it that he scornes the scorner How should I looke upon his face when he must be my Iudge whom I scorned to be my friend How shall I stand before his wrath whose grace I dâ—rided O therfore my soule prevent this mischiefe betimes accept of grace while he offers it seeke search sue for it now that thou mayest then assuredly finde it goe forth to meete it which is sent to meete thee take hold of it and leaue it not which will hold up thy head at that day will never leaue thee till thou art seated in eternall happinesse Psalme I. Ver. 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night THE Prophet having in the former verse layd downe the way which must bee declined by all those which would come to happinesse in this propounds positiuely the path which without faile wil bring us to it if we follow it to the end In this way he sets out two periods 1. delighting in Gods Law 2. meditating in it day night from which issue two points of doctrine 1. The Prophet affirmes him blessed who delights in the law of God 2. The Psalmist pronounceth him blessed who meditates day and night in the law of the Lord. In the former these particulars must bee openedâ— 1. what is the law of the Lord 2. what this delight in the law The law is sometime strictly taken for the first scriptures the fiue books of Moses and then ordinarily distinguished either from the writer and called the Law of Moses or by adding the other opposite member the law and the Prophets sometime it is more largely extended as comprehending all the propheticall writings of the old Testament as is manifest Iohn 10. 34. where the booke of Psalmes is made part of the Law But the word here used properly signifieth doctrine yet is generally and rightly translated Law because whatsoever God would haue us know concerning his will and pleasure is there by himselfe taught revealed and promulgated Deut. 29.29 so that he appointeth it the only ordinary meanes of life Luke 16. 29 30 31. 2. because all doctrines delivered in the word are so many sanctions of the supreame Majestie binding the conscience to all obedience and perfect subjection Againe his delight is by some translated his will the word signifying that action of the mind whereby willingly pleasingly and with loue the heart cleaues to any thing so used Gen. 34. 19. This then is the meaning of the words Whosoever loues the Law or word of God cleaues to it takes pleasure in that which God there coÌ„mandeth he is entred already into a blessed estate This as it is here plainly testified so also the Apostle addes his suffrage unto it evidently affirming that as his misery consisteth in being vexed with the body of death resisting the law of God so his happinesse in delighting in that law concerning the inward man The grounds or reasons of this testimonie in David are 1. his knowledge in the word of God whence hee had taken forth this lessonâ— Deut. 28. 2. his experience having felt by this delight an unspeakable happinesse being holden up in his deepest afflictions and quickened from his deadnesse by this word Hence gather these lessons The Scripture containeth all that doctrine which is profitable to the perfection of a Christian so farre as to make him wise to salvation and to bring him to everlasting happinesse For if he be blessed who with delight entertaines it necessarily it must containe whatsoever is necessary or profitable to that end Thus else-where he pronounceth it perfect And the Apostle speaking of the Scriptures affirmeth them able to make wise to salvatioÌ„ profitable to instruct c. so farre that the man of God may be perfect in every good worke And hence is it that when God by Moses had written this law and delivered it to the people he straitly chargâ—th thâ—m to adde nothing to it nor take any thing from it and againe doubles this precept Deut. 12. 32. And without all question howsoever it pleased the Lord of his goodnesse by the succeeding Prophets to expound and open the law and farther to presse and inforce it yet did never any Prophet adde any new doctrine to the former words they addâ—d to cleare and unfold it but no new matter or precept to the duties coÌ„manded Thus after did the Apostles as witnesseth that chosen Vessell they said no other things then those which Moses and the Prophets did say should come Certainly as in the creation of the bodily light the Lord made spread over the world a generall brightnesse which after he gathered into one body the Sunne and made it as a fountaine from whose beames not onely other creatures but the heavenly lights themselues should borrow all their splendour even the Moone and starres So having in this little world of man created a spirituall light of wisdome and knowledge in his understanding diffused and spread it over mankind and for some ages of the world derived both by traditioÌ„ as